ACAT Email Newsletter 5 - May 2012
May I take two minutes of your time?
I realise how busy everyone is nowadays but I hope you'll find time to cast your eye over the newsletter - there is important information if you work as a private therapist, links to websites giving the latest thinking about developments with IAPT and serious mental illness that may impact on your work as CAT therapists, and a special offer by Sage for readers of the newsletter in respect of the latest edition of 'Change for the Better' - don't miss it! You may remember seeing a request for information about your CPD interests and needs in the last issue of Reformulation. We have had some replies, but to ensure that any decisions made are based on the many voices rather than the few, I would urge you to spend two minutes filling in the electronic questionnaire, just 9 questions – it won’t take long, I promise! The questionnaire is on your home page of the website, so you need to go to www.acat.me.uk and log in. The second half of the questionnaire is asking for offers from those who are willing to offer CPD training. We have received some offers from members but will be assessing these in relation to the results of the needs of the members for their CPD - any further offers would be very welcome.. I look forward to hearing from you, and hopefully seeing many of you at the conference in Manchester – just a couple of months to go, and a terrific programme of events and speakers.
'Bespoke' Introductory Days
EXAM BOARD
The next London committee meetings are on 25thMay, but please note there is no Exam Board. The next Exam Board is 5thOctober; receipt of papers is Friday 14thSeptember. TAX & CAT Remember: professional subscriptions are allowable as legitimate expenses by HMRC so don’t forget to claim on your tax return! STOP PRESS We’re pleased to let you know that after some uncertainty, St. Thomas’ Practitioner Training has been given the go-ahead and will start in Autumn 2012. Applications are opening shortly – please see the Training pages on the website for details. Decisions, changes and information from ACAT's committees, March 2012
New Skills Courses
As you may be aware the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Programme has now broadened to consider psychosis, bipolar disorder and personality disorder as well as psychological approaches with people with Long-Term conditions and Medically Unexplained Symptoms. As part of the launch of this project, the Severe Mental Illness (SMI) Stakeholder Event on 23 November 2011 gathered views from stakeholders on pertinent issues that will need to be considered when taking the work forward.West Midlands Proposed CAT Skills Courses: two courses have been agreed and funded by the Trust during the year 2012-2013. The proposal was discussed and agreed. New Practitioner Trainings Approval was given for a new Somerset Practitioner Training. The trainers will be Jay Dudley and Jason Hepple. Call for Research Supervisors A number of the CAT Practitioner courses (PG Diplomas) are now validated by Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), and trainees are offered the opportunity to submit a research dissertation, the successful completion of which leads to the award of an MSc CAT. Would you be interested in being included on the list of approved research supervisors for MSc candidates? To be eligible you would need to have a Masters degree or above. This is an exciting opportunity to expand the research base for CAT and for collaborative research with MSc students who are accredited CAT practitioners. As a supervisor you will be supported in this role by the SHU MSc Co-ordinator/Link Tutor from Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) and SHU will offer supervisor development days. Supervisors will receive a fee to cover 10 hours supervision time per year. If you are interested to be included on the list of approved supervisors please contact Dawn Bennett ACAT/SHU liaison Dawnbennett@btinternet.com or James Turner (CAT practitioner and link tutor SHU) James.Turner@shu.ac.uk to register your interest or request further information. How Do I Train to be a Cognitive Analytic Therapist? Not a question you have to worry about now, but the ACAT office often receives enquiries from people who are interested in training in CAT, but need advice on getting started. We have put together some information on what people need in terms of knowledge, experience and ability, along with links to ‘Next Step’ for those who are at the beginning of their journey: http://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/ (go to job profiles, and type in ‘counsellor’. This gives details about entry requirements, training and development, as well as other useful information to help choices and decisions about future choices). So if you have friends who are interested in becoming Cognitive Analytic Therapists, point them in this direction! http://www.acat.me.uk/page/how+do+i+train+to+be+a+cat+therapist ACAT Library – Update I am sorry to report that the situation with the ACAT Library is not yet resolved and you are still unable to download CAT papers listed in the bibliography, although all Reformulation articles can be accessed. We are awaiting confirmation from the British Library and hope that we will be in a position to order all the CAT papers which will then be available on the site. We are very sorry about this situation, and please be assured that we are trying to resolve the situation as quickly as we can. We will keep in touch about developments to the library. Supervisor Training Residential The last residential supervisor training was fully booked, and a most successful event. Arrangements are in hand for this to be run again. Please note that it will be open to supervisor trainees and to other members to count towards your CPD hours. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – Registering as a Data Controller We have been in touch with the ICO to clarify the position over registration for all private practitioners. They have confirmed that if you work as a private therapist and keep personal data on your clients on a computer/word processer then you must register with the ICO. Please see their email below: “The Data Protection Act 1998 requires that every data controller who processes personal data must notify, unless all the data are exempt. For details of the exemptions please refer to our on-line Notification Exemptions – self-assessment guide at http://www.ico.gov.uk/Home/for_organisations/data_protection /notification/need_to_notify.aspx “Health professionals who undertake private practice are data controllers and, if they process medical data electronically, are required to notify. They can start the application process on-line at http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection /notification/notify_or_renew.aspx or by telephoning our Notification Helpline on 01625 545740.” Introducing people to CAT - opportunities for 'bespoke' introductory days
Many of us will have had our first taste of CAT through introductory days. Currently ACAT Introductory Days are available usually twice a year in London and Manchester. Sometimes Course Directors arrange days in their local NHS Trusts to raise interest and awareness for recruitment to a Practitioner course.
ACAT would like to make these available in parts of the country where CAT may not be as well represented but there may be the possibility of developing interest in what CAT has to offer. We have a bank of experienced trainers who are willing to provide ‘bespoke’ introductory workshops, so if your organisation or Trust might be interested in hosting a day, please get in touch with the ACAT office to explore the possibilities: admin@acat.me.uk – 0844 800 9496. Click here or the image below to download a pdf of the flyer...  CAT, IAPT AND SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS (SMI) Information, and the launch of a new Special Interest Group There were presentations from several speakers and the PowerPoint slides have been made available, along with several of the speeches from the day. They are available on this link and are well worth looking at: http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/smi-/ We are very keen that CAT is represented in the discussions on these issues, and we’re pleased to know that Glenys Parry and Ian Kerr will be closely involved and will liaise with ACAT. At the same time as this was being discussed at the Council of Management, we received an email from Theresa Naish, a Primary Care Psychological Therapist working in Leicester: She wrote: “I work for an IAPT service called Open Mind in Leicester and am able to use CAT within our service which offers a number of different modalities. Next year we are due to be put out for tender and I'm keen to try and ensure that CAT is well established. I'm in the process of negotiating with colleagues to participate in pilots for using psychological approaches with people with Long-Term conditions and Medically Unexplained Symptoms. I'm aware that there are other CAT therapists working in IAPT services (although they are few) and I'm beginning to wonder if it might be time to invite those who are to form a network with each other with a view to sharing information and providing support.” It seems a very timely suggestion, and Theresa has very kindly agreed to be a point of contact for getting this interest group established. As with all special interest groups, once you are signed up as a group member you will be able to take part in any discussions in the chatterbox. Events can be organised and advertised through the diary, and documents can be made available for download to members of the group. It would be good to know the extent and range of work that is being undertaken in primary care, as well as the kind of initiatives that Theresa is involved in participating in, so do sign up and make contact. Research support and resources My name is Robert Watson, and I would like to explain briefly my role as Research Strategy and Liaison Co-Coordinator. I am a Clinical Psychologist, accredited CAT Therapist, and became a Trustee of ACAT last year.  CAT has a good track record of research, and there have been a diverse range of competent studies completed over the years that have helped enormously to improve our knowledge base of CAT in practice, and for example, helped make the case for the inclusion of CAT in NICE guidelines.It is important that as an organisation and a community we continue to encourage and support a diverse range of research methodologies to continue this process. To assist with this, my role is to act as a resource and link for colleagues wishing to undertake research in CAT and also help develop a broad research strategy within ACAT so we can continue practice based learning, but also ensure we have the outcome evidence to help us continue to make the strong arguments to commissioners, NICE, and private healthcare providers, in order for CAT to be included in the provision of services for a wide range of problems. Future developments There is increasing emphasis and interest placed on routine outcomes evaluation of psychological therapies, that is, how they perform in routine practice and one of initiatives I aim to get going this year is to evaluate the routine outcomes date that CAT services already collect, so that we can have the "evidence " to hand about what we already know ourselves - the strong value of CAT. We need to ensure we continue a diverse research programme in CAT from single case series, qualitative approaches, and outcome studies including RCTs and routine practice evaluations so that CAT continues to flourish within the NHS and outside. So, please get in touch with me: If you already collect routine outcome data for your CAT clients If you are interested in setting up research in CAT along the lines described above. You can email me through the website – you need to be logged in, go to the Research section, and find the page ‘Support for CAT research’, scroll down to the bottom of the page - here’s the link: http://www.acat.me.uk/page/support+for+cat+research Join the Research chatterbox As well as this, there is a Research chatterbox – again, you need to be logged in, but then go to More About CAT for professionals, find the page ‘Regional and Special Interest Groups’, click on CAT Research. You need to apply to join the group, and once this is done, you can contribute to the ‘Chatterbox’. Here’s the link: http://www.acat.me.uk/page/regional+groups+and+sigs I look forward to hearing from you. Robert Watson Regulation update As you probably know, the Health and Social Care Bill was passed in parliament recently. With this came the approval for the Professional Standards Authority (PSA – formerly known as CHRE – The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence) to “Approve” or “Assure” Voluntary Registers for therapists working in the health and social care sectors. The scheme is called “Assured Voluntary Registration” and it has replaced the earlier proposal for a system of statutory regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists by the Health Professions Council. Statutory regulation has now well and truly been put to rest.  The proposal is that the PSA will “assure” current therapy registers and organisations such as ACAT and UKCP will have to apply to the PSA for what will in effect become a quality kitemark for the organisation and its individual members. The scheme is voluntary, but it will be advertised and promoted such that employers and the public will expect therapists to hold qualifications which meet the PSA criteria and will have been given “approval”. The details of the scheme are still being discussed and we expect a consultation document to be circulated within the next couple of months. ACAT has already contacted the PSA to let them know that we intend to apply for the kitemark for all of our registers (practitioners and psychotherapists). The UKCP and BACP are also seeking approval independently, as are many other of the larger therapy organisations. You can find further details of the new scheme on the CHRE website: http://www.chre.org.uk/voluntaryregisters/ Mark Westacott Towergate Insurance We are in the process of finalising a contract with Towergate Insurance so that members of ACAT are entitled to special rates for Professional Liability Insurance. Details will be made available soon. Change for the Better 4th edition I am delighted to report that the 4thedition of Change for the Better has been published by Sage. Sage has very generously offered a 20% discount on the list price of £24.99. You would order through this link: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/books/Book237221/reviews?siteId=sage-uk&prodTypes=any&q=change+for+the+better#tabview=titleand enter the discount code UK12LE014 when asked to do so. Below are some reviews of the book:  ‘An unusual self- help book with real depth' - Sue Gerhardt, author of Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain 'This is a good book made better. It retains the clear writing and useful exercises of earlier editions but manages to invite an even more comprehensive exploration of the self' - Dr Anthony Ryle, pioneer of CAT at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals 'This is a really welcome guide to modern therapy - blending traditional psychological wisdom with a practical cognitive programme that anyone can follow' - Philip Hodson, psychotherapist and broadcaster. New Savoy Partnership The New Savoy Partnership is a unique group of organisations working together to bring psychological therapies to the NHS and improve access for all who need them. It comprises professional bodies, charities, service providers and welcomes other partners. ACAT has been a member of the Savoy Partnership since its inception. There is an annual conference where issues particularly in relationship to IAPT are debated. The website has a full report of all these conferences, with copies of overheads and podcasts from the different sessions. http://www.newsavoypartnership.org/index.htm The New Savoy Partnership has also set up a Resource Directory. It is organised in broad diagnostic categories – always a difficulty, but we have listed ACAT under Eating Disorders and Relationships – here’s the link http://www.newsavoydirectory.org/ News from the Regions and Special Interest Groups North East and NECAT (North East Cognitive Analytic Therapy) We now have a database of about 70 members. About 80% of members are CAT trained but approximately 20% of members are 'CAT interested' and often 'CAT informed' too, which a helpful way of spreading the word about Cognitive Analytic Therapy in the north east of England. As elsewhere, CAT is the 'new kid on the block' up here in the North East where CBT and Psychoanalytic Therapy have been established for a longer time. We have continued our policy of alternating outside speakers with those with particular expertise from within our own group. This year we have already had a very fully booked workshop on CAT and the Dynamics of Shame facilitated by Henrietta Batchelor and Caroline Dower, and, since we ended up with 12 on a waiting list we will run this workshop again in the autumn (date to be decided). We have booked Steve Clarke and Paula Barnes to run a half day workshop on No Sex Please....We're CAT Therapists (Friday 25th May 2012) and have linked this half day workshop with the first meeting of an Independent Practitioner Forum reflecting the growth of private practice in CAT up here. Later in the year our 'outside' speaker is Steve Potter working with Speed Supervision (Friday November 9th 2012) in response to requests from a number of therapists and supervisors. Again this will be a full day as we have found that practitioners and therapists often travel large distances in the North East and appreciate a full day to think and reflect on a subject and to catch up with other workers in the same discipline. We circulate details of workshops and events to everyone on our database but if anyone else is interested to come to any of our workshops please contact Henrietta Batchelor (henrietta.batchelor@gmail.com) or Caroline Dower (carolinedower@hotmail.com). CAT East The CAT practitioner training hosted by Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust is now in the second year of training. The fifteen trainees have completed their first two assignments and report finding the course stimulating and enjoyable. A further course is planned commencing January 2013 and a two day Introductory Course will be held in May 2012. The CPD programme continues, Tim Sheard offered a very good training day entitled Embodiment and the Therapeutic Space which was attended by 30 people This may have been rather more participants than Tim had planned, but was due to a high level of interest. Tim provided a welcome creative space within a very busy and demanding NHS setting. A further CPD day is planned in October entitled 'NLP skills for CAT' with Rene Bosman. Learning Disability SIG The second conference on 'CAT with people who have a learning disability' will take place on the 18th May 2012 at 'The Barn', Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.  There is a full programme of speakers:‘Using a Specialist Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) Model for working with People with Learning Disabilities’ (Ann Bancroft, Clinical Psychologist, CAT Practitioner) Using CAT in a systemic context with staff teams: reflections on the process of facilitating an intervention (Helen Elford and Zoe Ball, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust) How can CAT help us to understand and assess mental capacity? (Julie Lloyd and Hilary Brown) The struggles within a 24-session CAT for a man with mild learning disabilities and forensic risk issues (Dr Perry Morrison) A relational approach to understanding and working with challenging behaviour (Dr Jo Varela) Development of CAT Groups with Carers of People with Learning Disabilities (Dr Stephanie Richardson The conference fee is £50.00 for online booking which includes refreshments and a buffet lunch. Full details available on: http://www.acat.me.uk/event/655/conference+%3A%3A+cat+ with+people+with+learning+disabilities+2012-05-18.htm |
ACAT Calendar for December
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3131st December 2024
CAT Introductory Event: On-demand Introductory Course to Cognitive Analytic Therapy - offered by Learn with CATO
CAT Introductory Event: On-demand Introductory Course to Cognitive Analytic Therapy - offered by Learn with CATO
CAT Vacancies
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Our Next 18 Events
11th January 2025
How to run a successful private practice Module One - Offered by Become Psychology
13th January 2025
Newcastle CAT Practitioner Training 2025-27
16th January 2025
ACAT: Two Day Introduction to CAT - Online
31st January 2025
CAT as a Tool for Leadership - offered by Catalyse
25th March 2025
ACAT: Two Day Introduction to CAT - Online
31st March 2025
ACAT: Trainers and Supervisors Meeting
31st March 2025
ACAT: Trainers and Supervisors Meeting
2nd April 2025
ACAT: Relational Skills in CAT Supervision Residential
2nd April 2025
ACAT: Relational Skills in CAT Supervision Residential
8th May 2025
Restoring Regenerating and Rewilding residential - offered by the WildCAT SIG
17th May 2025
EDI Race and Culture CPD workshop - offered by CAT Cumbria
23rd May 2025
29th ACAT National Conference
23rd May 2025
Annual General Meeting
8th July 2025
ACAT: Two Day Introduction to CAT - Online
9th September 2025
ACAT: Two Day Introduction to CAT - Online
11th November 2025
ACAT: Two Day Introduction to CAT - Online
11th November 2025
Developing the CAT model CPD workshop - offered by CAT Cumbria
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